Edward (Ted) Sayers' clinical skills, leadership qualities and outgoing, friendly nature established him as a dominant figure in post-war New Zealand medicine. He was born in Christchurch into a family with few resources. A scholarship enabled him to enter Christ's College and matriculate but family circumstances then required him to leave aged fifteen. He worked as a clerk for two years before entering the Otago Medical School, from which he graduated in 1924.
After one year as house physician at Wellington Hospital, he took up his vocation as a medical missionary. Having acquired the Diploma in Tropical Medicine in London, he spent seven years from 1927 in the Methodist Mission at Gizo in the Solomon Islands. His research in malaria during this time led to the 1940 award of the Cilento Medal (Australian) in recognition of his contribution to the health of Solomon Islanders. He also sent mosquitoes to the London School and snakes to the British Museum. During this time, he married Jane Lumsden Grove, and the first two of their six children—Kathleen, Margaret, Nancy, Pamela, Edward and John—were born.
When the Mission closed in 1934, he went to London, passed the MRCP after a cram course, and returned to Auckland to begin a general practice. His outstanding clinical skills were quickly recognised, and in 1938 he became a pioneer in consulting medicine in New Zealand, being appointed to the visiting staff of Auckland Hospital.
At the outbreak of war, he was called up to the New Zealand Medical Corps. He left for the Middle East in the 2nd Echelon with the rank of captain to join the 1st NZ General Hospital as a specialist in tropical medicine. By the time the War reached the Pacific, he was in command of the Medical Division of the Hospital. Because of his deep understanding of tropical disease, he was transferred to command the 4th General Hospital at Noumea in New Caledonia as colonel. There, he worked closely with American physicians, and his contributions were recognised by the award of the American Legion of Honour. He continued this relationship after returning to Auckland in 1944, where he resumed consulting practice.
A large American base hospital in Auckland introduced him to the concept of the Grand Round, which he later implemented at Auckland Hospital in the 1950s. A Foundation Fellow of the College, he became chairman of the Dominion Committee, a councillor, and nominee of the College on the Medical Council of New Zealand, of which he was chairman from 1956 to 1964. He also served as a censor for many years. In 1956, he was elected president of the College—the first New Zealand Fellow to be so honoured. Despite the challenge of trans-Tasman travel, his presidency significantly strengthened College ties between New Zealand and Australia.
In 1957, he became sub-dean of the branch faculty of the Otago Medical School in Auckland. Upon the retirement of Sir Charles Hercus (qv 1), he was invited to become dean in Dunedin and was appointed to the chair in therapeutics. His inaugural lecture was on malaria, the subject of his MD thesis completed in 1959. As dean, he revised the clinical curriculum for fourth and fifth-year students, established new chairs in psychological medicine and paediatrics, and began planning a new library and administration block—now bearing his name.
He encountered challenges related to changes in medical school funding and the founding of the School of Medicine in Auckland. Nonetheless, he secured Wellcome Trust funding for a new research building and a research chair in medicine, first occupied by Sir Horace Smirk in 1963.
He maintained his clinical interests at Wakari Hospital, where his medical unit was highly sought after by junior doctors. He continued the Grand Round tradition and began a private consulting practice after retiring in 1967, which he maintained until shortly before his death. During this time, he also chaired the Medical Research Distribution Committee Lottery Fund and the Scientific Committee of the National Heart Foundation. In 1971, he married Patricia Dorothy Coleman, then dean of the Home Science School at the University of Otago.
Ted Sayers began life in modest circumstances, shaped by a devout Christian background, a scholarly but paraplegic father, and a tireless mother. His character, shaped by missionary work and wartime experiences, brought him to prominence. He mentored many young physicians and was highly respected for his ability to address all aspects of a patient’s needs. A principled and personable man, he often said that his time in the Solomons was the most impactful of his career as a doctor.